Texas Hiking Trails & Spring Snacking

Springtime in Texas is glorious- it’s not blistering hot yet and the flowers are in full bloom.  Birds are chirping and the deer graze along our local hiking trails (I kid you not, I saw Bambi!).

Now that we’re out of the deep freeze of Chicago, we’re spending a lot more time exploring the great outdoors to get some Vitamin D and put our workout gear to good use.  Within a mile of our house is a gorgeous bike path and hiking trail that’s part of the San Antonio trail system- which has lots of hidden surprises like art sculptures and parks dotted amongst the trees.

Sundays are our hiking days.  I put on a tank, SPF 50 and a few snacks in a bag with a reusable water bottle and have at it.  Our first weekend out, we made the mistake of going on an empty stomach and without water, and have since learned that when things are beautiful and a place is new, it’s easy to go further than you think so be prepared!

Our first time out, I was thirsty and hangry and no amount of chirping birds or pretty sculptures could make me into a happy person again, especially as the fella was telling me to mix in some modified pushups.  Hiking has become my reset time in the last few weeks- we will go for a long walk or hike in the hills with the trails, then we will come back to powerhouse through laundry and do whatever else we need to do to get through the week with sanity intact.

If Sunday doesn’t go well, my week doesn’t start well, so it’s sacred time for me and being out in nature is something I not only treasure, but really, I’ve come to rely on it over the last month.  Luckily though, I’ve been smart enough to pack food and water that’s sufficient for a really good hike that starts my week off right:

Fruit & Veggie Snack Bars from the CVS Gold Emblem line.

These are my favorite- and if you’re hiking or roadtripping, you can find these at CVS which has been stocking more healthy options.  The snack bars are much thicker than your typical fruit leathers, so they have a bit more substance to them.

As a girl who loves fruit leather and usually gets grumpy when the thin ones go down the hatch far too quickly, this is a more substantial snack, with some veggies too!

Dehydrated fruits mean no mess in your bag (and there’s my new Fitbit Charge HR…I’m step obsessed!)

Dehydrated fruit is a great option for anyone that has found bruised, squished bananas in the bottom of their hike pack, no matter how careful they are.

Of course, these aren’t a good choice if you haven’t packed water and you’re super thirsty..for that, there are fruit leathers, which I also take with me in a hiking pack (see above.)

If you’re obsessed with Fitbit like I am, I’m trying to get 10,000 steps a day (and 14k daily on weekends) so I’d love to be friends on the app so we can get competitive!   I’m hiking, biking and walking, plus snacking smarter so I can slim down before summer, but it’s always more fun with friends! 🙂

Banana Crisps  + Fuji Apple & Raspberry Clusters – great for a hiking pack.

Barbecue Pistachios & Peppered Beef Jerky from the CVS Gold Emblem line.

Of course, not everything can be fruity.  We also pack savory snacks for either the hike itself or the car ride home (as pistachios can be a good time out on the trail but the shells shouldn’t be left behind).  We switch things up with jerky & nuts depending on the day.

So- if you’re heading to CVS to pick up your sunscreen, bug repellent and allergy medications (because while hiking is fun, sunburns and bug bites are not!) be sure to pick up some snacks.

Disclosure: I’m proud to partner with CVS Pharmacy to promote their exclusive Gold Emblem and Gold Emblem abound snack lines. I am being sponsored by CVS Pharmacy for my posts and activities, but all opinions expressed are my own, and all product claims or program details shared should be verified at CVS.com or with the appropriate manufacturers.